[September 2017]
23 – Rice Growing – A Year of Local Governments in Japan

September is the beginning of Autumn in Japan and most Japanese rice farmers begin to harvest their paddy fields around this time. For Japan, the self-professed Mizuho no Kuni (rice country), rice growing has been the most important industry since the origin of its civilisation with respective local administrations and governments playing a vital role in the industry, this role expanding in modern times.

After WWII, there was a serious rice shortage in Japan due to the devastation caused by the war. In response to this, the central and local governments carried out significant land reforms where landlords with large holdings of agricultural land were instructed to sell excess land to the government at a fixed price which was then redistributed and sold to individual farmers at the same price. Effective rice growing techniques were also taught to these smaller farmers to allow them to maximise produce. These land reform policies were so successful in increasing rice production that it resulted in a rice surplus.

This prompted the Japanese central and local governments to promote changes from the production of rice to other crops. Additionally, factories and other large employers were encouraged to do business in rural areas to reduce the number of farmers. These measures succeeded and resulted in the steady decrease of farmers and the cultivated area of rice, which eventually led to an increase in abandoned paddy fields.

Local government is the closest tier of government to residents, meaning at the time of these policy shifts they had to shoulder the harder and more direct tasks such as paddy field redistribution and the allocation of new crops to replace rice. Today, Japanese local governments are still faced with the challenge of recruiting farmers to cultivate local agricultural land and simultaneously sustain their economy and environment.

 

Katsunori Kamibo

Director

カテゴリー: From the Executive Director

Uncategorised

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    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

     

  • *English only.

    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  • *English only.

    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  • *English only.

    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  •  環境問題への取組を調査するため、7月下旬~8月上旬にかけて滋賀県立彦根工業高等学校の高校生1名および引率者1名がオーストラリアを訪問し、クレアシドニー事務所は、7月29日にはオーストラリアの概要(文化、風習等)についてブリーフィングを実施し、7月31日にはブリスベンの訪問先企業へのアテンド行いました。

    ブリスベンの訪問先においては、カーボンニュートラルの観点から、カギケノリという海藻を用いて畜産動物が排出するメタンガスを減少させる取り組みについての情報を得ることができました。生徒が、将来は自らも環境のための取り組みを実施したいとの思いから、積極的にミーティングに臨んでいる姿が印象的でした。

    当事務所は今回、ブリーフィング及びアテンドのほか、ブリスベンの訪問先企業に対するアポイントメント取得のサポートも行いました。
     クレアシドニー事務所は、今後もオーストラリアでの調査に取り組む日本の自治体の活動を支援していきます。

  • *English only.

    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  • *English only.

    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  • *English only.

    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this correspondence in PDF.

  • *English only.

    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  •  名古屋市とシドニー市の姉妹都市交流は、2025年に45周年を迎えます。11月24日(金)には、豪州多文化主義政策交流プログラム(11月27日から12月2日まで)参加にあわせて渡豪した名古屋市職員がシドニー市役所を訪問しました。
     両市の姉妹動物園(タロンガ動物園と東山動物園)の交流の状況や名古屋市における国際交流についての情報共有に加えて、2023年12月に予定されている松雄副市長のシドニー市訪問の事前打ち合わせが行われ、クレアシドニー事務所はこの訪問をアテンドしました。
     節目の年を2年後に控え、両市の交流がさらに活発になるよう、クレアシドニー事務所は引き続き支援して参ります。